Abroad in Japan is a channel run by Chris Broad, a man from London who originally moved to Japan to become an English teacher. Wanting to share the experience of life in Japan with the world and put his hobby of filmmaking to good use, he started making monthly videos.

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Halloween is peeking around the corner, which means Shibuya, Tokyo is about to explode with costumes, parties, and flashing cameras.

Halloween is huge in Japan. Especially Tokyo. Shibuya is most known for its gatherings of strangers and friends alike, totaling around 100,000 people each year. If you’re thinking of visiting Tokyo soon, people may be telling you to come during sakura season in the spring. While this is a beautiful experience, consider visiting in October if you like dressing up and partying.

Venturing to theme parks on the night of Halloween is also an experience to remember. Consider Tokyo DisneySea, Disney World, and USJ (Universal Studios Japan in Osaka).

Don’t have a Halloween costume? No problem! Go to Don Quijote (ドン・キホーテ), the Walmart on Japan that’s half the size with double the stuff.

By Robbie Spiers

Hiroshima is one of the smallest venues for English Camp this year but is by no means some boring backwater - it’s got okonomiyaki, beautiful parks and Itsukushima shrine is only a stone’s throw away.

Everybody loves to eat food, and one of the dishes that Hiroshima is famous for is its take on okonomiyaki (a kind of savoury pancake with noodles, cabbage, egg, and sauce). There are plenty of places where you can tuck into a plate of this local speciality, but one of the most famous is Okonomimura, a building consisting of four stories of restaurants dedicated to making okonomiyaki. When the Hiroshima interns visited, the chefs make the dish on hot plates right in front of us with the process looking like this:

The Hiroshima of today is a modern, easy-going city so it was easy to forget the its apocalyptic past. The Peace Memorial Park, however, provided a tranquil and thought-provoking reminder of how far the city has come since it was destroyed 70 years ago. Visiting the gardens was very moving and the atmosphere was surreal and unforgettable. The park may not be the usual cheerful tourist destination you might expect but it is definitely a place that any interns who are lucky enough to go to Hiroshima should visit.

After the five days of English Camp we took the chance to explore the nearby island of Itsukushima (also known as Miyajima) at the weekend. The trip was my favourite part of my time in and around Hiroshima as Itsukushima has boatloads things on offer - deer, a floating torii gate and Mt. Misen just to mention a few. The torii gate and shrine gave us the opportunity to see a glimpse into Japan’s traditional culture, whilst Mt. Misen provided breathtaking views of Hiroshima Bay and the Seto Inland Sea. Take a look at some more of my photos below to get a feel for the place:

Hiroshima may not be as big or glamourous as major venues like Osaka and Tokyo, yet its small venue size means that not only do you get to know your fellow interns much better, but also that your experience inside class and out is more personal and welcoming.